August 2, 2009
[Nathan]: Lorelai likes making up new words. Last night, she told me, "I'm gonna tell you a good word." I asked her "What?" She told me, "Lilee." I asked her "What does that mean?" Her answer: "Lots of people die. Then they put on shoes and walk and walk and walk and go to Taco Bell and then they have a snack at Taco Bell."
August 3, 2009
[Nathan]: Home again. Lorelai is such a good traveler. She doesn't complain or whine. She sits quietly, reads, colors, or just looks out the window.
Tonight we resumed a game we had first played a few weeks ago. After her bath, and after she is dressed, we spread her towel on the ground and go for a ride on the "flying carpet." Tonight, we "visited" both Uncle Ray and Aunt Adrienne, as well as Uncle Paul, Aunt Jocelyn, Abigail, Elaine, and Simon.
August 4, 2009
[Adrianne]: Today was Lorelai's first day at her new preschool--Kid's Academy, taught by Julie Bingham. She seemed to really enjoy herself (and cried bitterly when it was time to leave!). We will have to buy her a full-sized backpack to carry her binder to and from preschool; we might do that tomorrow. This afternoon, however, Lorelai was more tired and cranky than usual. I guess even preschool has an adjustment period, like a "regular" school. That, and the fact that we were on the road for eight hours yesterday.
August 5, 2009
[Adrianne]: I got to go on the "magic carpet ride" tonight with Lorelai. We visited Aunt Adrienne and Uncle Ray, Simon's house, and the "ball house," at which we borrowed some balls to play with at our house. Lorelai's imagination is really taking off and her memory is improving, too. I heard her reciting some lines from "Finding Nemo," almost verbatim, to herself; she hasn't seen the movie in a while. My daughter is a clever one.
August 6, 2009
[Nathan]: Last year, whenever I gave Celeste a bottle, I would often watch an episode of "Angel" while I did so. Lorelai would sometimes watch with me. I wonder if that's why she's so obsessed with monsters. Or maybe it's all the computer games she watches me play.
I told her monsters were not allowed in our house. Tonight, she matter of factly informed me that monsters can't come in because "it's too loud." Her prayer tonight also include a request for protection from monsters.
August 7, 2009
[Adrianne]: My three thoughts on Lorelai for the day:
1. She rarely naps these days, but when she does, it's always late in the afternoon and she gets VERY grumpy when she's woken up. The funk often continues for the remainder of the evening.
2. She has a deep, sincere fear of wind. Yes, wind. Air that moves. We're not sure where this comes from (although a joke of Nathan's may have set it off), but it's become quite an issue. She points out the window fearfully every time she sees trees moving, insists that we stow her outdoor toys away, and cries when Celeste goes outside to play, for fear of her blowing away. When she herself gets caught in the wind, she gets extremely agitated and keeps insisting that she (or any of us, or even our house) won't blow away--probably to convince herself. It's a problem. We don't know how to deal with it yet.
3. Tonight, I looked in on Lorelai in the bubble bath, and she told me, "Mom, you've got to get out of here, if you want to stay alive." Turns out there was "a monster" somewhere in the bathroom. Funny stuff!
August 9, 2009
[Adrianne]: This week, my baby girl turns four. I love her so much and am so excited watching her grow. Over the last couple of days, she has become a "hero," a fact she reminds us of over and over. She spends the day finding imaginary monsters throughout the house (under the table, on the ceiling, etc.) and attacking them with her toy sword (or, later, her "new magic wand," AKA the pencil she was given in Primary as a birthday present). She also says things like "I'm a hero that's brave!" Or "now this hero has to go to church!" That's pretty heroic, I must admit.
August 11, 2009
[Adrianne]: After four hours of preschool today (2+ hours of screening at the Early Childhood Center and another 2 hours at Kid's Academy) Lorelai was really pooped. When I asked her if she wanted a cookie, she said no, while staring into space. Now that's tired. Her "big girl backpack" is hilarious; it's full-size and it reaches down to her knees when she's wearing it. Hopefully, it will serve her well for a long time (years, maybe?) to come.
August 12, 2009
[Adrianne]: Happy birthday, Lorelai!. Today you turned four years old. We opened your presents this morning. Later we bought you a few presents and went out for lunch and ice cream. You are a smart, beautiful girl who will do many great things in your life. Through all that is to come, I hope you never stop smiling; that smile of yours can light up a room! I am so proud of you and hope you have a wonderful year of being four--learning, growing, and experiencing all you can. I love you.
[Nathan]: For almost a year now, you've been talking about your next birthday and all the cupcakes you would eat on your birthday. Usually, you planned to have two and when asked, Celeste would have one. ON one occasion, I asked you how many cupcakes Momma would eat on your birthday and you replied "seventeen."
After all that talk about cupcakes, we ended up not eating any. You had brownies and vanilla ice cream as your birthday treat. You've always been unique and you will always be something special. I love you.
August 14, 2009
[Adrianne]: Tonight we celebrated Lorelai's birthday by taking her out to eat at Peter Piper Pizza. We met our friends, the Nielsens, there, and their son Conner goofed off with Lorelai all night. After eating pizza, the kids spent the rest of the night in the arcade, playing whack-a-mole, skeeball, and Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. They also rode in a super-weird University of Arizona football helmet that played music. Weird. Anyways, when all was said and done, we got both our girls balloons and with our ticket winnings, picked out a heart necklace and Snow White figurine for Lorelai. Conner also got her a jumbo coloring book and watercolors. All in all, a really fun night. Happy Birthday, Lorelai.
August 17, 2009
[Adrianne]: Lorelai's "monster" obsession is both funny and a little sad. It's exciting to see her imagination at work, and hearing the things her brain comes up with is a lot of fun. Lately, she's taken to shooting "arrows"--pantomimed--at everyone who may or may not be a "monster." She does this because she is, of course, "a big hero" as she sometimes reminds us. However, that vivid imagination may make those monsters seem real. Tonight, when we visited the Children's Museum, she seemed really excited to see the dinosaurs, until she got into the same room as them! They're life-sized, animatronic puppets, who move their heads and blink. In no time, she tearfully asked to be led out. They were a little too vivid for that imagination of hers. Hopefully, they won't trouble her dreams.
August 18, 2009
[Adrianne]: Today, at preschool, Lorelai had "Doctor Day." She got a first-aid bag (complete with band-aids), a medical certificate, and even a surgical mask (a green napkin with a rubber band attached). She "fixed me up" this afternoon; as I lay in pain on the ground, she put a bandage on my head and poured medicine down my throat. She'll be a great caregiver someday.
[Nathan]: We got Lorelai a small bike for her birthday. It was given to us by a family in the ward. It needed some work, and last week I patched the tires, and replaced the pedals. Today, after re-patching the rear tire, we took it out for a quick ride. We still have a long way to go, but teaching my child to ride a bike is something I've dreamed about for year.
August 19, 2009
[Adrianne]: Lorelai's behavior today at the photo studio was great; during her individual portraits, I didn't even have to be in there with her! She made all the right poses and did what the photographer asked. I'm so proud of her; she's getting so big. Of course, she was a lot more wiggly when she and Celeste were getting heir group photo taken; but I attribute that to Celeste's age and her wandering feet and attention span. Man, photographing two little kids at once is tough! Just wait until it's three at once.
August 24, 2009
[Adrianne]: This weekend, Lorelai picked flowers at a park we visited. She handed them to me and said, "Now, you can give these to Daddy. Then, he'll marry you!" Funny. Lorelai, at least, understands that marriage and motherhood is connected. She's always telling us how she's going to marry her friend Conner Nielsen, "and then she'll be a mom!" Thus far, Conner has no objections to this master plan (that I know of).
In other news, Lorelai's starting to sleep through the night without pull ups on, about every other night. It would be nice if we could get her completely "weaned" before baby #3 arrives.
August 25, 2009
[Nathan]: Lorelai joined us today for Momma's doctor's appointment. Throughout the visit, she was worried that the doctor would take the baby. We had to reassure her that the doctor was just making sure that the baby was healthy and strong.
August 27, 2009
[Adrianne]: Book Club tonight was at our house. Before going to bed, Lorelai insisted that she give every person visiting a kiss (about five to six ladies). We had to explain that good night kisses are for family members only. Needless to say, our reasoning didn't sit well with her; she cried loudly all the way to bed, and for a long time thereafter.
August 30, 2009
[Adrianne]: Our child's moods are still quite hard to pin down. Today, when Daddy gave Lorelai "only" seven chocolate-covered almonds, she insisted she wanted more, then dissolved into a sweaty, shaking, tear-streaked screaming mess for the next half hour. Guess what finally cheered her up? She looked down my shirt at my breasts while sitting on my lap and had a great laugh about it. Sometimes it's hard to believe that she's the "oldest."
Another funny thing from this weekend: we all sat in the girls school bus play-tent, "drove" to the library, and checked out two books: one about sunglasses and the other about flags, which Lorelai insisted I read to her. Seeing as these books were imaginary, I had to make them up on the fly. It was a fun imagination exercise for both of us.
Also, according to Lorelai, when Christmastime is here, we'll all eat her birthday cake. News to me!
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